The life of a farmer

There is always something to do on the farm. Currently I am only a part time farmer but really that means I work full time for half of the rewards. What I mean by that is it’s hard to be a farmer full time in this day and age. The stress of the unknown, the hours put in and the uncertainty of the markets creates a dynamic that many would avoid. So why try to farm, and by farm I mean grow food in which you sell and try to live off of said profits?

There is a certain longing I believe that exists in most of us to be the people we once were yet we get pulled into what we are becoming. In all of us exist a draw to the land whether we act on it or not. Not long ago (in the grand scheme of things) in 1790 90% of Americans were farmers. Today only about 2% of the population are counted as farmers and that statistic comes from 1990’s. I imagine that percent is even lower now but maybe not.

Making a profit from farming is tough and there have been many that have come and gone well before my time. Yet there are those who are becoming the rock stars of the farming world. People like Jean-Martin Fortier, Curtis Stone, Sepp Holzer and John Jeavons (in my personal opinion) and numerous others who have made big leaps in the world of farming. Yet they are doing nothing new and even more so they are farming in a way that is akin to 100 years ago or so. What makes the first two “rock stars” is that they are making a profit from a small amount of land and a very decent one at that. When compared to other professions they are not making a killing but making a living doing something they love.

That’s what it really comes down to. Making a living. Most professions out there don’t have that triple bottom line that I look for when it comes to a career. Helping others while making a living and not destroying your resources in the process (the other two farmers are actually improving their resources in the process of providing the bottom line). So is the life of a farmer the way to go? Well maybe it’s not for everyone and maybe it’s better to do part time. For myself I am trying to focus on what I call the triple “F”. Farming, Fires and Filming.

What can I say, I like trifectas. So I guess I’m a tri-time farmer? Check out my farm at www.sonofsomething.com.